Snow Leopard
Description Created shortly after the debut of the ''Balaam'', the Snow Leopard was designed to fill the niche for which the heavier 'Mech was originally designed. Clan Smoke Jaguar needed a OmniMech capable of instituting lightning raids against enemy positions and strongholds yet inexpensive enough to mass produce on a large scale. Smoke Jaguar Scientist Caste took a cue from the Cougar developed by Clan Jade Falcon and looked to the Adder for inspiration. Initial plans for the Snow Leopard outfitted it with the latest Clan technological innovations though this became prohibitively expensive and would have wound up requiring too much assistance from the other Clans. Instead, they outfitted with the OmniMech with inexpensive and rather common weapons making repairs and production a simple affair. The Snow Leopard turned out to be a marvelous success during initial testing stages as the Mech's prodigious speed let it run circles around the competition. 6.5 tons of Ferro-Fibrous armor made it one of the most heavily armored designs of its class and allowed the Snow Leopard to survive a single direct blast to the torso from an ER PPC. The OmniMech's use of a long and short range weapon in its primary configuration let it participate admirably in a variety of environments including the growing number of Urban and Jungle combat zones in which the Smoke Jaguars were anticipating facing the Draconis Combine. Ten integrated double heat sinks kept the design cool while moving at top speed and utilizing its small set of weapons while 1 ton of Jump Jets granted the OmniMech superb maneuverability in the most difficult of terrains. More importantly, the inclusion of an Angel ECM allowed the Jaguars to counter the growing advances in Inner Sphere missile technology while granting the Clan the ability to respond rapidly to Inner Sphere guerrilla tactics. Once testing was completed, the Snow Leopard would only see a short life of service before Operation: Serpent and Operation: Bulldog brought the entirety of the Clan to its knees culminating in the death of Khan Leo Showers almost the end of the design as well. The vast majority of Snow Leopards were destroyed defending Huntress while the rest wound up in the hands of a few Inner Sphere units and the Clan toumans which saw it as a second-line design. Armament The Snow Leopard's primary load out includes an ER PPC for long range combat and helps alleviate the Mech from depending on ammunition. A Streak SRM 6 with a ton of ammunition rounds out the weapon systems and provides a nice short range punch for any foe who manges to get past the Snow Leopard's blazing speed. 1 Ton of Jump Jets allows the Mech to leap a short 60 meters to get through urban environments, and an Angel ECM keeps the Snow Leopard from prying eyes until it is ready to strike. Variants *Alt. Config. A - In an effort to bring forth a larger amount of firepower to the field, the A configuration swaps out the ER PPC and Angel ECM for a LRM 20 equipped with an Artemis V FCS and two tons of ammunition. The Prime Configuration's Streak SRM 6 and ammunition were replaced by a trio of ER Medium Lasers for mid range combat. Overall, the A configuration boasts a greater amount of firepower at all ranges and reduced the cost of production. BV = 1,549 References Category:BattleMechsCustom